Includes bibliographical references (p. [191]-204) and index.

Human rights in history. The ancient classical world. The world of the Bible. The mediaeval world. Renaissance and Reformation thought. Hobbes and Rousseau. Revolution in England. American independence. The French declaration of the rights of man. English resistance to human rights. German developments : Kant and Marx -- The modern human rights movement. The charter of the United Nations Organisation. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Continental developments. The 1993 Vienna World Conference on Human Rights. Wider human rights developments. British developments. Conclusion -- Clarifying human rights. Some useful distinctions. Rights and duties. The proliferation of rights. Individuals-in-society. Social divisiveness. Ethical imperialism? A challenge to all cultures. The strengths of human rights -- Establishing human rights. A matter of belief. An essential requirement. The nature of persons. Intuitionist approaches. Human dignity. "The wonder of our being." Major opponents. Conclusion -- The globalising of human rights. Global expansion. Seeking a global ethic. Cultural relativism. Global human rights. Towards cosmopolitanism. The inadequacies of states. "Principled" cosmopolitanism. Human solidarity.

"The Challenge of Human Rights traces the history of human rights theory from classical antiquity through the enlightenment to the modern human rights movement, and analyses the significance of human rights in today's increasingly globalized world. In this illuminating study, Jack Mahoney surveys and critiques the emerging awareness in history of human rights as an invaluable ethical resource; chronicles their growing recognition and acceptance in modern times; analyses their contents, details, and philosophical basis; and illustrates their relevance and significance today."--BOOK JACKET.